TheCable

Dapo Abiodun, governor of Ogun, says most of the complaints by workers on strike in the state are issues caused by previous administrations.

Schools, offices, courts and health centres in the state were shut on Tuesday as the workers embarked on indefinite strike over alleged non-payment of their salaries and other issues around their welfare.

According to a statement by Abdulwaheed Odusile, Ogun commissioner for information, the state government will meet with labour leaders on Wednesday on discussions around issues listed by the workers.

Odusile said the governor will be personally involved in the dialogue with the workers, adding that the state government remains committed to ensuring improved standards of living for workers in the state.

“I am personally committed to ensuring an improved welfare of workers in Ogun State and will do all that is necessary to achieve this,” the governor was quoted as saying in the statement.

“This is a workers’ friendly administration and will remain so under my watch.

“One of the first duties I performed on my first day at work as the Governor on May 30, 2019 was to approve the immediate payment of salaries of our workers, which had not been paid by the immediate past administration until then. I also made a vow that salaries of workers in the State will be paid on or before the end of each month. And we have been doing that religiously ever since.

“Even in the face of dwindling resources, rising needs and this strike, the salaries are being remitted. I am sure they will start receiving bank credit alerts in the next 24 hours for the month of June.

“We are one of the few states in the country not owing workers salary and paying as and when due.

“Most of their complaints were inherited from the previous Administrations, but as a responsive and responsible Government, we are tackling them one after the other, even as we are being hampered by paucity of funds.

“The money accruable to us from the Federation Account and sundry sources have been dwindling for a long time now and this is affecting our ability to meet some of our obligations. But even at that we have been prioritising the interests of our workforce.”

The governor, however, urged workers to be patient with the government as efforts are on to address their demands.